Adult perpetrators of sexual violence

Characteristics of adult perpetrators of sexual violence

Adults account for the majority of alleged perpetrators of sexual violence among police reported cases. In Quebec, in 2022, nearly 71% of alleged perpetrators of sexual offenses were adults (aged 18 and over). Adults aged 18 to 24 had the highest rate of alleged perpetrators among all adult perpetrators¹.

However, only a small proportion (5 to 6%) of sexual assaults are reported to the police each year^2,3. Police data are therefore not representative of all cases of sexual violence and should be interpreted with caution. They may overestimate or underestimate certain sexual assaults or other sexual offenses, due to their characteristics. For example, offenses committed by an unknown person and those involving physical injury are more often reported than those committed by a known person and not involving such injury.

People who commit sexual violence are often known to their victims, such as current or former intimate partners, family members, acquaintances, or friends. According to police data from 2022, 81% of alleged perpetrators of sexual offenses, across all age groups, were known to their victims¹.

Men account for the vast majority of perpetrators of sexual violence, whether committed against children, young people, or other adults. In 2022, nearly 95% of sexual offenses were committed by boys and men aged 12 and older, while 5% were committed by girls and women¹.

Men are more likely to commit sexual violence against women and girls, and women are more likely to commit sexual violence against boys and men^4,5. Indeed, the proportion of male perpetrators is higher when sexual violence is committed against girls and women, while it is slightly lower when committed against boys or other men^2,3. According to data from Canadian surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019, the overwhelming majority of women who experienced sexual assault during childhood and adulthood reported that a man was the perpetrator (in 96% and 95% of cases, respectively)^2,3. Among men, the same trend is found for those who were victims of sexual abuse during childhood, with 84% identifying the perpetrator as male². However, among male victims in adulthood, just over half (56%) reported that a woman was responsible³.  

• For more information: sexual violence statistics

Factors associated with the risk of committing sexual violence in adulthood

There is no typical profile of adults who commit sexual violence. Sexual violence is a complex issue influenced by a variety of factors present in individuals’ lives during childhood or adulthood⁶.

Most studies on factors associated with sexual violence have been conducted on male perpetrators, often those who are already in the system. However, an increasing number of studies are including both women and men in their samples, and several have found more similarities than differences in risk factors according to gender. The factors are therefore presented without distinction based on the gender of the perpetrators.

Social norms, attitudes, and beliefs about sexual violence

Social norms and the manymyths circulating in society about sexual violence can influence people’s beliefs and attitudes. People who commit sexual violence are more likely to hold false beliefs about such violence. These false beliefs contribute to minimizing the seriousness of the violence, blaming the victims, and absolving perpetrators of sexual violence of responsibility^6-9. They often stem from myths about sexual violence and may reflect norms of masculinity that value hostility toward women^7-10. For example, perpetrators of sexual violence, especially men, are more likely to have distrustful attitudes or feel anger toward women, hold sexual and sexist beliefs, and adhere more rigidly to traditional gender roles ^6-8,10.

Having attitudes that condone sexual violence, interpersonal violence, or crime in general is also associated with an increased risk of committing sexual violence^6-8,10,11.

Peer influence and interpersonal relationships

The attitudes and beliefs of others influence the risk of committing sexual violence, such as perceiving that peers support sexual violence or that a parental figure adheres to norms of masculinity that value hostility toward women (e.g., believing that men are sexually dominant over women, not trusting women)^6-8,11,12. Peer behaviour can also influence this risk, such as having peers who engage in criminal behaviour or who approve of one’s own criminal behaviour¹⁰.

In terms of relationships, perpetrators of sexual violence are more likely to have dysfunctional intimate relationships (e.g., infidelity, conflict, abuse) and to have difficulty maintaining long-term relationships¹⁰.

Past experiences of violence

Experiences of violence during childhood are among the factors most strongly associated with the risk of committing sexual violence later in life. Studies show that experiencing various forms of abuse during childhood, such as sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and exposure to violence by a parent, increases the risk of committing abuse as an adult^6,12. However, most people who have experienced violence in the past will not commit sexual violence later in life.

Individuals who commit sexual violence as adults are also more likely to have committed it in the past, whether in intimate relationships or not, and to have committed other forms of violence (e.g., psychological or physical)^7,8,11.

Individual characteristics and behaviours

Several individual behaviours are associated with the risk of committing sexual violence, such as having engaged in delinquent or aggressive behaviour in the past^6,11. Furthermore, alcohol consumption, including excessive consumption, may also be associated with a higher risk of committing sexual violence, due to its effects on disinhibition, altered perceptions, and the exacerbation of certain attitudes. Several of these attitudes are factors associated with an increased risk of committing sexual violence, such as hostility toward women, sexist beliefs, and the perception that peers approve of sexual violence^6,8,11. Alcohol is also the psychoactive substance most often present in cases of sexual violence ¹³.  

Perpetrators of sexual violence are also more likely to have self-regulation problems, such as impulsivity or the adoption of strategies that are inappropriate for the situation (e.g., substance use, compulsive sexuality)¹⁰. They are more likely to have antisocial personality traits, such as a lack of empathy or contempt for others, impulsivity, or aggression⁸, and they also tend to have more sexual preoccupations (e.g., excessive masturbation) or paraphilic sexual interests (e.g., forced sexual acts, voyeurism)¹⁰.

Factors specific to sexual violence against children

Most factors associated with sexual violence can apply to all adult perpetrators of sexual violence, regardless of the age of the victims. However, some factors are more specific to sexual violence committed against children.

Perpetrators of sexual violence against children are more likely to have emotional congruence with children, such as preferring their company to that of adults or viewing children as friends or romantic partners. They hold more attitudes and beliefs that are conducive to sexual offenses against children, such as the false belief that children enjoy sexual activity¹⁰. They are also more likely to have a sexual interest in children and cognitive distortions, such as viewing children as sexual objects or minimizing the consequences of sexual violence on child victims⁶.

Protective factors

Certain factors have the potential to reduce the risk of sexual violence in some individuals, but these have been studied much less than the factors that increase this risk. Among the protective factors identified in the literature are empathy for others and the ability to regulate emotions and resolve conflicts in a healthy and appropriate manner^6,8,10,14. In terms of relationships, having strong social support, a good relationship with one’s parents, and a secure attachment to them during childhood also reduce the risk of committing sexual violence in adulthood^10,12.

Sexual recidivism among adult sex offenders

Sexual recidivism among sex offenders is relatively uncommon, with female offenders having a lower average recidivism rate than male offenders^4,15. Research suggests that the average rate of sexual recidivism is approximately 10%¹⁶. In Canada, sexual recidivism rates fell by 60% between 1940 and 2019¹⁶.

Not all sex offenders pose the same level of risk of reoffending. Certain factors are associated with a higher risk of recidivism (e.g., psychosexual, self-regulation, and relationship problems), while others are linked to a lower risk (e.g., healthy sexual interests, capacity for emotional intimacy, positive social support)^16,17.

Specialized treatments to reduce the risk of sexual recidivism generally have a positive effect on reducing recidivism, particularly in individuals with a moderate or high risk of recidivism^16,18.

• For more information: sexual violence prevention